engine AUDI A8 2012 Owner's Guide

Cruise control
Switching on
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at 20 mph
(30 km/h).
0
f
~
0
Fig . 84 Control lever with set button
Fig . 85 D isplay: Selected speed
.,. Pull the lever to position (D ~ fig . 84 to
swit ch the system on .
.,. Drive at the speed you wish to set.
.,. Press button @to set that speed.
The stored speed and the ind icator light
[lj;(i)~1ij (US models) 1 11 (Canad ian models) ap­
pear in the instrument cluster display
¢ fig. 85. The display may vary, depending on
the type of disp lay in your vehicle. The indica­
tor light
Ill in the instrument cluster also illu­
minates.
The speed is kept constant via an engine out­
put adjustment or active brake intervention.
A WARNING
-Always pay attention to traffic even when
the cruise control is switched on . You are
always responsible for your speed and
the distance between your vehicle and other vehicles.
On the road 85
-For safety reasons, the cruise control
should not be used in the city, in stop­
and-go traffic, on twisting roads and
when road conditions are poor (such as ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and hydro­
plan ing) - risk of accident .
- Turn off the cruise control temporarily
when enter ing turn lanes, highway exit
lanes or in construction zones.
- Please note that inadvertently ''resting"
your foot on the accelerator pedal causes
the cruise control not to brake. This is
because the cruise control is overridden
by the driver's acceleration .
- If a brake system malfunction such as
overheating occurs when the cr uise con­
trol system is switched on, the braking
function in the system may be switched
off . The other cruise contro l functions re­
main active as long as the indicator light
tij;[i)~1ij (US models) 111 (Canadian mod­
els) is on.
(D Tips
The brake lights illuminate as soon as the brakes decelerate automatically.
Changing speed
.,. Press lever in the 0 or 0 direction
¢ page 85, fig . 84 to increase or decrease
your speed .
.,. Release the lever to save that speed.
Change speed in increments of 1 mph (1 km/ h) by lightly press ing the lever. If you keep the
lever pressed down , you will alter your speed
in 5 mph (10 km/h) increments.
You can also press the accelerator pedal down
to increase your speed, e.g. if you want to
pass someone. The speed you saved earlier
will resume as soon as you release the acceler­
ator pedal.
If, however, you exceed your saved speed by
6 mph (10 km/h) for longer than 5 m inutes,
the cruise control wil l turn off temporarily.
The green symbol
[ljlIJll (US models) ill in ..,_

Audi drive select Driving settings
Introduction
Aud i drive select makes it possible to experi­
ence different types of vehicle settings in one
veh icle. The driver can select th ree
Comfort,
Auto
and Dynamic modes in the MMI to
switch between a sporty and a comfortable
driving mode.
You can also adjust the setting according to
your preferences in the
individual mode. For
examp le, you can combine settings such as a
sporty engine tuning with light steering.
Descript ion
The vehicle setup in each mode depends on
the vehicle's features. The engine, transmis­
sion, steering, reversible safety belt tension ­
ers and adaptive air suspension are always in­
volved .
Engine and transmission
Depending on the mode, the engine and the
transmission respond more quickly or in a
more balanced manner to accelerator pedal
movements. In the sporty dynamic mode, the
transmission sh ifts at higher RPMs.
Air suspension
The adaptive air suspension/adaptive air sus­
pension sport*
( Air suspension in the MMI) is
an electronically cont rolled air suspension and
damping system. They are adjusted depend­ ing on the selected driving mode, the driver's
steering, braking and acceleration input and
the road s urface, veh icle speed and load. A
sporty setting is generally used in vehicles
with adaptive air suspension sport *.
The vehicle clearance va ries depending on the
selected mode and the speed .
The highway setting is activated automatically
when you drive above 75 mph (120 km/h) for
mo re than 30 seconds in the
auto or dynamic
mode. The g round clearance is increased auto-
Audi drive select 103
matically if the speed drops below 44 mph
(70 km/h) for more than 120 seconds.
Steering
The steering adapts in terms of steering effort
and steering ratios. Indirect steering that
moves easily as in comfort mode is especially
s ui ted to long drives on a highway. In con­
trast, dynamic mode provides sporty, direct
steering.
T he following applies to vehicles with dynamic
steering*: the steering ratio changes based on
vehicle speed in order to maintain optimum
steering effort for the driver at all times. This
sets the steering to be less sens itive at higher
speeds in order to provide improved vehicle
control.
Sport diffe rential*
As a component of the all whee l drive system
(quattro
® ) c> page 191, the Sport differen­
tial* distributes the driving power to the rear
axle depending on the situat ion. The dis tribu­
tion of power varies depending on the select­
ed mode, from balanced (comfort) to agile
(dynamic). The goal is a hig h level of agility
and ability to accelerate on curves. Th e vehi cle
is very responsive to steer ing.
Adaptive cruise control*
The behav ior when accelerating can be adjust
from comfortable to sporty, depending on the
drive select mode. Adaptive cruise control al­
so responds to the driving behavior of the ve­
hicle ahead in a more conserva tive or sporty
manner.
(D Note
- Make sure there is enough clearance
above and below the vehicle when park­
ing . The height of the vehicle can change
once it is parked due to temperature
fluctuations, changes to the load condi­
tions and changes to the driving modes,
w hich can affect clearance.
- When transporting the vehicle on a car
carrier, train, ship or by other means, on-
ly tie the vehicle down at the running
IJJ,,

104 Audi dri ve sele ct
surface o f the tires, which is the outer
circumference. Securing the vehicle at
the axle components, s uspension struts
or towing eyes is not perm itted because
the pressure in the air suspension struts
can change during transport. The veh icle
may not be secured suff ic iently if this
happens .
- If you are go ing to tow a trailer, you
must activate the trailer operat ion mode
¢page 199.
@ Tips
- In some models, the maximum vehicle
speed can only be reached in the
auto
and dynamic modes.
- Selecting the
dynamic mode results in
spo rty sh ifting character istics. The S
gear position engages automati cally.
- In vehicles that have dynamic steering*,
operating noise is heard when starting or
stopp ing the eng ine . Th is does not ind i­
cate a problem.
- In vehicles with sport differential*, the
dynam ic mode is deactivated whe n tow­
i ng a traile r.
Selecting the driving mode
You can choose be tween Comfort, Auto, Dy­
namic and Individual.
Fi g. 106 MM!: D rive se lect
.,. To se lect the mode, select the following in
the MMI :
I CARI function button> Comfort ,
Auto , Dynamic or Indi vidu al.
You can change the driving mode when the ve­
hicle is stationary or while driving . If traffic
permits, after changing modes, briefly take
your foot off the accelerator pedal so that the
recently selected mode is also activated for
the engine.
comfort -provides a comfort-oriented vehicle
setup and is suited for long drives on high­
ways.
auto -provides an overall comfortable yet dy­
nam ic driving feel and is suited for every day
use.
d yna mi c -gives the vehicle a sporty driving
feel and is suited to a sporty driving style .
individual -¢ page 105.
A WARNING
Pay attention to traffic when operating Au­
d i drive select to prevent potential risk of
an accide .nt.

Audi drive select 105
Adjusting the Individual mode
You can adjust the vehicle settings to your personal preferences.
~ Select: ICARlf unct ion button> Set individ·
ual
control button. You can now adjust the
individua l systems.
The
individual d riving mode will automatical­
l y be activated when yo u have fin ished config­
uring the settings.
Systems
Engine
a nd Transmission
Air suspension Steer ing Comfort balanced
comfo
rtable
comfortab le The equ
ipment in your vehicle will determ ine
which sett ings you can adjust. The following
tab le prov ides a n overview of the c haracteris­
tics of eac h driving mode.
Dynamic
ba lanced spo
rty
---.. ,
s porty
ba lanced spo
rty
Dynamic steering*
Sport differential *
Cornering light*
Belt tensioner c o mfo rtable/ind ire c t balanced/dire ct sporty/direc t
spo rty
Adaptive cruise control *
balanced
comfortable
Standard
comfo rtable
Yo ur
individual mode se ttings a re auto ­
mat ica lly store d an d assig ned to t he re­
mote control key bein g use d.
Raising/lowering the
vehicle
Raising the vehicle
You ca n ra ise your veh icle temporarily, for ex­
ample to drive over a tall curb.
~ Se lect the following i n the MMI: I CARI f unc­
t ion button >
Raise control button.
~ Wait for the arrows in the d isplay to stop
blinking and the vehicle to reach its fina l po­
s it io n.
Lowe ring the vehicle
~ T o lower the veh icle, select the fo llow ing in
the MMI: ICARlfunction button>
Lower con­
trol button.
~ Wa it for the arrows in the d isplay to stop
blinking and th e vehicle to lower complete­
ly . ag
ile
balanced
Standard
balanced
(D Note
---.. ,
---.. ,
sporty Deployment t ime
adapt ed
sporty
- Remember that your ve hicle is not sui ta ­
ble fo r dr iv ing offroa d even when it is
raised . There is not enough ground clear­
ance.
- If the vehicle is ra ised, it will lower auto ­
matically when driving 62 mph (100 km/
h) or faster.
Driver messages
Air suspension : vehicle currently too low.
Le vel control running
Air suspension: vehicle currently too high. Level control running
T he dr iver mess age swi tches o ff when the lev­
el con tro l process is comp lete.

110 Automatic Tran sm iss ion
• You may need to release the selector lever
l ock depending on which se lector lever posi ­
t ion is selected and which one you would
Like to select ¢
page 110, Selector lever
lock.
• To engage the nearest selector lever posi ­
t ion, move the selector lever forward/back
unti l you feel the first pressure point . The
selector lever will return to its original posi ­
t ion.
• To skip over one (or two) se lector lever posi­
tions, move the selector lever past the first
(and second) pressure point into the desired
pos it ion. The selector lever will return to its
origina l position.
For example, to move directly from the D se­
lector lever position to P when stopping the
vehicle, you can shift past the N and R selector lever positions.
S ele ctor l ever lock
The selector lever lock prevents you from se ­
lecting a position unintentionally, causing the
vehicle to roll. When engaging some selector lever positions, you must press the button on
the selector lever¢
fig. 116 and/or press the
brake pedal.
You must press the brake pedal to engage a
selector lever position when the engine is run­ n ing while the vehicle is stationary. The ar­
rows¢
fig. 117 indicate when you need to
press the button on the selector lever .
The selector lever does not lock if you sh ift
from D to R w ith in one second . Th is allows
you to "rock" the vehicle to free it when it is
stuck .
P- P ark
The whee ls are locked in th is position. Only
shift into park when the vehicle is stationary
¢ & .To engage the P selector lever position,
press the button on the selector lever and
shift into the P position .
You can only shift out of park when the eng ine
is running and you are press ing the brake ped­
al. Press the button on the selector lever to r
elease the parking lock and select the desired
selector lever position.
P engages automa tica lly when you sw itch the
engine off while D, Sor R is engaged o r in
manua l mode .
If you switch the eng ine off when N is engag­
ed, the transmiss ion remains in N for approxi­
mately 30 minutes and then Pis engaged .
You must use the emergency release proce­ dure to release the parking lock before towi ng
the vehicle
¢ page 113.
R- Reverse
The reverse gear is engaged in this posit ion .
Only select reverse when the vehicle is sta­
t ionary and the eng ine is running at id le speed
¢ & -To engage the R selector leve r pos ition,
press the button on the selector lever, press
the b rake pedal and move the selector lever
into the R position.
T he back-up lights turn on when you select
the R selector lever pos it ion wh ile the eng ine
. . 1s ru nning .
N -Neutral
The transm iss ion is in idle in this pos it ion . To
engage the N selector lever posit ion, press
the button on the selector lever and sh ift into
t h e N pos it ion.
If you switch the eng ine off when N is e ngag­
ed, the transmiss ion remains in N for approxi­
mately 30 minutes and then P is engaged .
You cannot se lect the N pos ition when the ig­
nition is sw itched off. When dr iv ing th rough
an automat ic car wash, first select the N posi­
t ion and then switch the engine off
¢page 204.
The veh icle cannot be locked when the selec­
tor lever is in the N position.
D - Dri ve
In this pos ition, the transmission sh ifts up
and down automatically depending on eng ine
load, veh icle speed and the dynamic shift pro -
gram (DSP) .
ll-

To shift from N to D when traveling at speeds
be low S km/h, press the brak e pedal and se­
lect the D se lector lever position
~ .& .
Unde r certain conditions such as driving in the
mountains or when towing a trailer , it may be
helpful to switch to manual mode temporarily
to sh ift
manually to adapt to the driv ing con­
ditions
r:=:> page 112.
S -Sport
The 5 position can be selected fo r sporty driv­
ing. Upshifting at a higher RPM makes full use
of the engine's power.
You can only select the S selector lever posi­
tion when Dis engaged . Move the selector
l ever back to engage the 5 selector lever posi ­
tion. To select the D sel ector lever position
again when 5 is engaged, move the selector
lever back
r:=:> .&.
The 5 selector lever position engages auto­
matica lly when you select the dynamic mode
in Audi drive se lect .
A WARNING
-Never engage R or P wh ile driving. It
could cause a crash.
-
- Power is still transmitted to the whee ls
when the engine is running at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake in all
selector lever positions except P and N
when the eng ine is running. Do not inad­
vertent ly press the accelerator pedal
when the vehicle is stationary . Otherwise
the vehicle will start to move immediate­
ly. This cou ld happen even if the parking
brake is activated .
- Before opening the hood, select the P se­
lector lever position and set the parking
brake. This reduces the risk of a crash . A l­
ways read and follow the applicable
warnings
r:=:> page 213, Engine compart­
ment.
- Never get out of the driver's seat when
the engine is running.
Automatic Transmission 111
-If you must get out of the vehicle , move
the selector lever secure ly into the P po­
sition and apply the parking brake firmly.
@ Tips
- If you unintentionally shift into the N se­
lector lever position while driving, take
your foot off the accelerator pedal and
wa it for the engine to slow down until it
is idling before you sh ift into Dor 5.
Driving tips
The gears shif t automa tically.
Starting from a stop
.. Press and hold the brake pedal.
.. Start the engine
r:=:>page 80.
.. Press the b utton on the s elector lever and
select the D, 5 or R se lector lever position
r:=:> page 109 .
.. Wait a moment until the transmiss ion
shifts . You will notice a slight movement
when the gear engages .
"" Release the brake peda l and press the accel­
erator pedal
r:=:> &, .
Stopping temporarily
.. Press the brake pedal to stop the veh icle,
for example at a traffic light. Do not press
the acce lerator pedal when doing this.
"" To prevent the vehicle from rolling when
you start driving, set the parking brake
when stopp ing on large inclines
r:=:> &, .
.,. Th e parking brake will release automatica lly
and the vehicle will start moving once you
press the acce lerato r pedal.
Parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position
when you open the driver's door, the vehicle
could roll . The message
Transmission: Car
may roll! Shift to park!
appears .
.. Press and hold the bra ke peda l¢ &, .
"" Set the park ing brake.
.. To engage the P se lector lever position,
press the button on the selector lever and
shift into the P position
r:=:> page 109 .

112 Automatic Transmission
When parking on a level surface, simply place
the selector lever in the P position. On slopes,
activate the parking brake first and then
move
the selector lever to the P position. This pre­
vents too much stress from being placed on
the locking mechanism.
A WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS Q .&. in Se­
lecting a selector lever position on
page
111.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the selector lever position
wh ile the vehicle is stationary and the
engine is ru nn ing. This could result in a
crash .
- Never engage R or P while driving.
It
could cause a crash .
- Power is still transmit ted to the whee ls
when the engine is running at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake in all
selector lever positions except P and N
when the engine is running. Do not inad­
vertently press the accelerator pedal
when the veh icle is stationary . Otherwise
the vehicle will start to move immediate­
ly, even if the parking brake is set. This
could result in a crash.
Kick-down
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration .
When you press the accelerator pedal down
beyond the resistance point , the automatic
transmission downshifts into a lower gear, de­ pending on vehicle speed and engine RPM.
It
shifts up into the next h igher gear once the
maximum specified engine RPM is reached .
A WARNING
Please note that the wheels could spin on
slic k or slippery roads when kick-down is
active.
Shifting manually
The shift paddles allow the driver to shift the
gears manually .
Fig. 118 Steering whee l: sh ift in g manually
" To shift to a higher or lower gear temporari ­
ly, tap the
0 or 0 shift paddle Q fig. 118.
" To switch manual mode on, press the~
button. M and the gear that is currently en­
gaged @appears in the instrument cluster
display
Q page 109, fig. 115.
" To shift up one gear, tap the right shift pad­
dle
G) ¢ fig . 118 .
" To shift down one gear, tap the left shift
paddle Q.
" To switch manual mode off, press the~
button again, or
" Move the selector lever back and release it .
When you acce lerate or reduce the speed, the
transmission automatically shifts into the cor­
rect gear shortly before reaching the RPM lim­
it. If you select a lower gear than the one cur­
rently shown in the display, the automatic
transmission will only shift down once there is no danger of exceeding the maximum RPM .
The engine braking effect increases when you
downsh ift when going downhill.
. Transmission malfunction
[O] Transmission: please press the brake ped­
al and select the position again
Press the brake pedal and select the desired
se lector lever position again. You can then
continue driving.
[O] Transmission hot: please modify driving
~le
~

The transmission temperature has increased
significantly due to the sporty driving manner. Drive in a less sporty manner until the tem­
perature returns to the normal range and the
indicator light switches of.
[O] Gearbox malfunction: you can continue
driving
There is a system ma lfunction in the transmis­
sion. You may continue driving. Drive to your
authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair fa­
cility soon to have the malfunction corrected .
[O];lij Gearbox malfunction: you can contin·
ue driving in D only until engine is off
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
sion . The transmission is switching to emer­
gency mode. If you turn the engine
off, you
will not be able to select any other selector
l ever positions after starting the engine again.
Drive to your authorized Audi dea ler or quali­
fied repai r facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
[O] Gearbox malfunction: you can continue
driving {limited functionality)
There is a system ma lfunction in the transmis­
sion. The transmission is switching to emer ­
gency mode. This mode only shifts into cer­
tain gears or will not longer shift at all. The
engine may sta ll. Drive to your authorized Au­
di dealer or qualified repa ir facility immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
[o]tlij Gearbox malfunction: no reverse gear
(you can continue driving)
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
sion. The transmission is switching to emer ­
gency mode. This mode only shifts into cer­
tain gears or will not longer shift at all. You
cannot engage the reverse gear. Drive to your
author ized Audi dealer immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
[O] Vehicle may roll! Cannot shift to P. Please
apply parking brake
- The parking lock was released using the
emergency release
r=:> page 113. Or
Automatic Transmission 113
- The parking brake cannot engage automati ­
cally . Drive to your authorized Audi dea ler or
qualif ied repair facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
[O] Gearbox malfunction: Stop and shift to P
Do not continue dr iving. Select the P selector
lever position and see your authorized Aud i
dealer or qualified repair facility for assis­
tance .
Parking lock emergency release
The parking lock must be released using the
emergency release before towing the vehicle.
Fig. 119 Driver 's side footwell: releas ing the park ing
lock using the emergency release
.------------------ -~
Fig. 120 Dr iver"s side footwel l: resett ing the parking
l ock
8 ±
~
The emergency release is located under the
floor mat on the driver's side. You operate the
emergency release from the driver's seat.
Releasing the parking lock using the
emergency release
.. To prevent the vehicle from rolling uninten­
tionally, set the parking brake©
r=:> page 82
or press the brake pedal.
.,. There are two slits on the cover. Posit ion
the screwdriver from the veh icle tool kit in
Ill-

Homelink®
Universal remote
control
General information
Applies to vehicles: with Horne Link® universal remote
control
The Homelink universal remote control can
be programmed with hand -held transmitters
from existing equipment.
Using the Homelink universal remote control,
you can operate equipment such as garage
doors, property gates and house lights from inside your vehicle.
Using the Homelink universal remote control,
you can replace up to three separate hand ­
held transmitters for equipment on your
property with just one universal remote con­
trol. Most of these transmitters a re used to
operate ga rage doo rs and property gates. The
individua l transmitters are programmed at
the front bumper. That is where the control
module is located.
The transmitters must be programmed first in
order to operate systems using the Homelink universal remote control.
A WARNING
-
- Never use the Homelink® transmitter
with any garage door opener that does have not the safety stop and reverse fea­
ture as required by federal safety stand­ ards . Th is includes any garage door open­
er model manufactured before April 1, 1982.
- A garage door opener which cannot de­
tect an object, signaling the door to stop
and reverse does not meet current feder­
al safety standards. Using a garage door
opener without these features increases
risk of serious injury or death.
- For safety reasons never release the
parking brake or start the engine while
anyone is standing in front of the vehicle .
- A garage door or an estate gate may
sometimes be set in motion when the
Homelink ® 121
Homelink ® remote control is being pro­
grammed.
If the device is repeatedly ac­
tivated, this can overstrain motor and
damage its electrical components - an
overheated motor is a fire hazard!
- To avoid possible injuries or property
damage, please always make absolutely
certain that no persons or objects are lo­
cated in the range of motion of any
equ ipment being operated.
(D Tips
- If you would like additional information
on the Homelink ® Universal Transce iver,
Homelink compatible products, or to
purchase other accessories such as the
Homel ink ® Lighting Package, please
contact Homelink at 1 -800 -355-3515 or
on the Internet at www.homelink.com.
- For Declaration of Comp liance to United
States FCC and Industry Canada regu la ­
tions ~
page 283.

-Failure to pay attention to the warning
light that come on, could lead to person­
al injury.
Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for
people riding in vehicles .
Fig. 1 36 Unbe lted occupants in a ve hicle head ing for a
wall
Fig. 137 T he vehicle cras hes into the wall
The physical principles are simple. Both the
veh icle and the passengers possess energy
which varies w ith veh icle speed and body
weight . Engineers call this energy "kinetic en­
e rgy."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the
greater the vehicle's weight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" in the crash .
Vehicle speed is the most significant factor . If
the speed doubles from 15 to 30 mph (25 to
50 km/h), the ene rgy increases 4 t imes!
Because the passengers of th is veh icle are not
using safety belts¢
fig. 136, they will keep
mov ing at the same speed the vehicle was
mov ing just befo re the crash, unt il something
stops them - here, the wall ¢
fig. 137.
Safety belts 135
The same principles apply to people s itting in
a vehicle that is involved in a frontal coll ision .
Even at c ity speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to 50
km/h), the forces acting on the body can
reach one ton (2,000 lbs, or 1,000 kg) or
more . At greater speeds, these fo rces are even
highe r.
Peop le who do not use safety belts are also
not attached to their vehicle . In a frontal colli­
s ion they will also keep moving forward at the
speed their veh icle was travel ling just before
the crash . Of co urse, the laws of physics don't
just app ly to frontal collisions, they determine
what happens i n all k inds of a cc ident s and col­
li s ions.
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop
themselves from flying forward and being in­
jured or killed. Always wear your safety belts!
F ig . 1 38 A driver not wea ring a safety be lt is vio lently
th row n forwa rd
F ig. 139 A rear passenger not wearing a sa fety belt
w ill fly forward a nd strike the d river
Un belted oc cupants a re not able to resist the
tremendous forces o f impact by hold ing tight
o r bracing themse lves. Without the benefit of
safety restraint systems, the unrestra ined .,..